Financial News and Advice in Singapore

4 Great Ways to Save Money at IT Show 2017

Use these tricks to earn cash vouchers and save even more on electronics deals at IT Show 2017.

Shopping for electronics during the IT Show (16 to 19 March, Suntec City) is an exciting affair, not least because of the eye-popping deals that retailers simply love to trot out. With attractive offers that are good only for those few short days, you’ll find it hard to keep your credit cards in your wallet.

With a little planning, you can maximise the value you get from your shopping spree. Use these following tips to help you save money and stretch your budget at IT Show 2017.

Photo source: Gizmodo

Trade in Your Old Gadgets, Games and E-scooters

Finally, a socially responsible way to indulge your inner nerd.

Electronic waste has become a serious problem, and with our obsession over owning the latest and sleekest mobile phones, tablets and laptops, things aren’t going to improve anytime soon.

The least you could do is to leave you unwanted or broken down gadgets in the neighbourhood recycling bin. That way they could be dealt with in a more environmentally conscious fashion – if they don’t get looted overnight first.

Here’s a better idea: trade them in for cash vouchers to offset the cost of your IT Show purchases.

No, you won’t have to bargain hard and fast while fighting back the hordes. Instead, you can first get a quote for the items you want to trade in. That way, you can decide if it’s going to be worth the trouble lugging that old bulky desktop all the way to Suntec City.

Start off by going here to submit a form for the items you no longer want. If you find the offer acceptable, go ahead and bring your gadgets down to Hall 603, Level 6 to hand over your items and receive your cash vouchers.

The IT Show 2017 trade-in programme has proven so popular that the organisers have expanded the range of items you can trade in this year. Besides computers and mobile phones, you can trade in your old computer games and e-scooters too.

Note that the cash vouchers are only accepted by selected vendors for the duration of IT Show 2017 only. In the case of e-scooters and other personal mobility devices, the cash vouchers obtained can only be used for new e-mobility items.

Also, some devices, such as computers with single-core processors, will not be accepted for trade-in. Neither will LCD monitors sized below or above certain dimensions. Read the full terms and conditions at the website linked above for the full list.

Use OCBC Titanium Rewards Card for 10x Points

You will earn 10x points for electronics and gadgets, such as mobile phones, fitness trackers and headphones – which means that anything you buy at IT Show 2017 is guaranteed to quickly top up your account.

What can you use your points for? Well, how about 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles for 25,000 points (or a spend of S$2,500) for starters. That way, your new digital camera purchase can help pay for your plane ticket for your holiday – the very reason why you’re buying a new camera in the first place!

(And in case you’re curious, 10x points per S$1 spent is equivalent to an air mile earn rate of 8 miles per S$1 spent. You won’t find many chances for such a high miles earn rate, so make sure you capitalise on the IT Show 2017 with the OCBC Titanium Rewards Card.)

Photo source: The Straits Times

Get Free Screen Protectors

We may love jabbing at the small back screens of our mobile devices all day long, but we hate the fingerprints we inevitably leave behind. So much so that screen protectors are considered a basic necessity of owning anything with a touchscreen.

With screen protectors costing an average of S$20 to S$30 per piece, a family of four can easily spend hundreds of dollars extra just to keep fingerprints and smudges off their beloved tablets and mobile phones.

Save yourself this arguably unnecessary expense when you buy new mobile phones and tablets at IT Show 2017. Just proceed to Hall 403, Level 4 and show your receipts to the counter staff to claim a free screen protector for your shiny new devices.

Then, use the money you’ve just saved to treat your family to a fancy restaurant dinner – where you can go right back to ignoring each other in favour of Facebook.

Earn Extra Rebates Through Shopback

If you’re not too keen on spending hours wading through crowds just to get your hands on the IT Show deals, you can try searching online.

Many vendors are sure to extend their offers to online shoppers and shopping websites will also hold their own IT sales.

You can save even more money if you shop online through Shopback. From 13 to 17 March, you can earn up to 14% cashback, along with free delivery and other goodies.

Read This Next:

By Alevin ChanA Certified Financial Planner with a curiosity about what makes people tick, Alevin’s mission is to help readers understand the psychology of money. He’s also on an ongoing quest to optimize happiness and enjoyment in his life.

““I used to be scared of credit cards, but SingSaver.com.sg made me realise that I don’t have to worry about debt if I pay my bill on time each month. I found and applied for a cashback card easily on their website. Love it.””